Chapter 11: The IT Expert + Damian’s First Move
1071 Words
9:15am. Royal Courts of Justice.
The air was heavy.
Priya stood. “My lord, we call Mr. Daniel Carter, digital forensics expert.”
A man in his 30s walked in. Jeans. Hoodie under a blazer. Laptop in his hands.
Holloway rolled his eyes.
“Mr. Carter,” Priya said. “What did you find?”
Carter opened his laptop. “The email submitted yesterday has metadata inconsistencies. The timestamp doesn’t match the server logs. The IP address traces to a proxy, not Dr. Hart’s home or hospital.”
Holloway stood. “My lord, this is circumstantial.”
“Let him finish,” the judge said.
Carter clicked. “Also, the ‘sent’ folder on Mr. Cross’s server shows the email was drafted and sent from an internal device. Not received from an external source.”
The courtroom murmured.
Elise sat up. That was it. That was proof.
Priya looked at the judge. “My lord, this suggests the email was fabricated internally and backdated.”
Holloway’s smile was gone. “My lord, Mr. Cross has over 200 employees. Anyone could have access.”
The judge frowned. “Mr. Holloway, did you verify the origin of this email before submitting it?”
Holloway hesitated. “We received it in good faith from our client.”
“See that you verify next time,” the judge said.
Elise exhaled.
For the first time, Damian looked at her.
Just once. Cold.
Then back to his lawyers.
---
Hour 4: Closing arguments
Priya: “This is not about one email. It’s about a pattern. A powerful man silencing women who said no. Dr. Hart deserves her name back.”
Holloway: “This is about a doctor who failed and is now making accusations to save her career. The GMC acted properly.”
The judge nodded. “I will consider all evidence. Judgment will be delivered in 4 weeks.”
Gavel.
It was over. For now.
---
Outside, reporters were waiting.
“Dr. Hart! Any comment?”
“Mr. Cross, did you forge the email?”
Damian walked straight past. No words.
Elise pulled her coat up.
Priya squeezed her arm. “We did good.”
“We wait 4 weeks,” Elise said.
4 weeks felt like forever.
---
That night she went home and crashed.
At 9pm there was a knock.
Leo. With food. Again.
“You didn’t text,” he said.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “It was... a lot.”
He came in. Set the food down.
“How did it go?”
“We might have a chance,” she said. “Someone lied. We proved it.”
He nodded. “I’m proud of you.”
She sat on the floor. He sat next to her.
“Can I ask you something?” she said.
“Anything.”
“Why are you still here? I’m a mess. I have a court case. I’m broke.”
He looked at her. “Because when I’m with you, I’m not thinking about my dad’s company. Or board meetings. Or who I’m supposed to be.”
Elise’s chest hurt. “Who are you supposed to be?”
“His son,” he said. “And I don’t want to be.”
Elise froze.
His son.
But he didn’t say the name.
She didn’t ask.
Not yet.
She leaned into him instead.
He kissed her. Slow. Safe.
“Stay tonight?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said.
The next morning she woke to news alerts.
CROSS GROUP DENIES ALLEGATIONS. CALLS CASE ‘MALICIOUS’.
Comments: Gold digger. She wanted money. Shame on her.
Elise threw her phone.
By noon, her landlord emailed: Rent increase. 30 days notice.
By 3pm, her bank called: Unusual activity. Card frozen.
By 5pm, Maeve called: Someone posted your old address online.
Elise sat on her floor.
This was his first move.
Not legal. Personal.
---
She called Priya.
“They’re trying to break me,” she said.
“I know,” Priya said. “Don’t respond. Don’t engage. We keep our heads down.”
Elise hung up.
Her phone buzzed.
Leo: Are you okay? I saw the news.
Elise: No.
Leo: Can I come over?
Elise: Please.
He was there in 15 minutes.
He didn’t ask questions. He just held her.
“I’m scared,” she whispered.
“I know,” he said. “But you’re not alone.”
They ordered takeaway. Watched something stupid.
At 11pm he said: “Come stay at mine. Just for a few nights. Until things calm.”
“I can’t,” she said. “It’s too much.”
“It’s not,” he said. “Please, Elise.”
She looked at him. Tired. Honest.
“Okay,” she said.
His flat in Bloomsbury was quiet. Safe.
He gave her the guest room. But she ended up in his bed anyway.
He didn’t push. Just held her.
In the middle of the night she woke up to him brushing her hair back.
“You okay?” he whispered.
“Yeah,” she said. “With you, yeah.”
He kissed her forehead.
“I hate that someone’s doing this to you,” he said.
“You don’t even know who,” she said.
“I know it’s someone powerful,” he said. “And I hate them.”
She closed her eyes.
If he knew, would he still hold her?
She didn’t want to find out.
Not yet.
The next 3 days she stayed at his.
They cooked. They read. They hid from the world.
On the 4th day, Priya called.
“Good news,” she said. “Two more women came forward. After the hearing. They saw the news. They’re scared but they’ll give statements.”
Elise sat up. “Who?”
“One is a nurse. One is a junior doctor,” Priya said. “Both said the same thing. ‘Grateful’. ‘Private meeting’.”
Elise’s hands shook. “So it’s not just me.”
“It’s not,” Priya said. “We’re building this, Elise.”
After she hung up, Leo was in the doorway.
“Good news?” he asked.
“The best,” she said.
He smiled. Came in. Pulled her into a hug.
“I’m so proud of you,” he said.
She hugged him back. Hard.
For 4 weeks, she had hope.
For 4 weeks, she had him.
And she wasn’t ready to lose either.
—
- Writer
